4.29.2010

I made my way to Tigre on the commuter train to check out what the Buenos Aires suburbs have to offer. Tigre is a popular day trip because it's reachable quickly (about 50 minutes on the direct train) and cheaply (about 35 cents for my one-way ticket) and because it's a jumping-off point to explore the river delta by boat. The town itself also offers a nice riverwalk area, a small theme park and a casino. At the casino, where I stopped before taking the pricier but cuter Tren de la Costa back toward Buenos Aires, I had a truly awkward conversation while ordering a coffee and pastry.

When I sat down and realized I had forced the woman to give me more change than I deserved because I didn't understand one word she had said right away (she asked if she could give me 3 "fichitas" because she didn't have "monedas"), I felt like a real tool. But then I chilled because, as I am getting better at remembering, language learning is all about making mistakes. If you're not screwing up every day, you're not doing it right.

And also, really Argentina, make more effing monedas so I don't have to have retarded conversations with service workers anymore. THANKS.